Some say Atlanta...

“Some say Atlanta…
some say New York…
some say Paris, France but…
Who knows… where this flower… grows” – André 3000

Just a short entry this week as I am preparing to enjoy my Holiday weekend with some family here in Atlanta, and some good friends down in Florida. This past weekend I sprained my foot going down some stairs (don’t ask) and missed the U2 concert because of it. Not wanting to take the time off from work, I drove my parent’s car to work so I wouldn’t have to mess with the clutch since my injured foot would be pressing the clutch all day long. I had been driving their car for three days when I noticed there was a CD in the CD player. I decided to play it not knowing what my folks had been listening to last. I was expecting some Smokey Robinson (he shares birthdays with my mother) or some Moody Blues or some other classic rock band…

I almost hit a car laughing as the intro to “The Love Below” started playing. All I can say is don’t sleep on my parents. I won’t expect any G-Unit or Yin Yang Twinz in there anytime soon (Eminem might get a little airplay actually), but I definitely won’t be making anymore assumptions about my parent’s musical preferences.

Thanks to all of you that have been checking in and reading my random rants – please have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

“Hit the road Jack – and don’t cha come back no more no more no more no more…” – Ray Charles

We all have experienced our share of road rage – both sides of it… When someone does something stupid, all you want to see is a police officer. This morning, my wish came true when this guy in a minivan jumps into the HOV lane, slowing down traffic for us in the lane already (my mother was traveling with me in case you’re wondering what I’m doing in the HOV lane). This guy slows down traffic again less than half a mile later as he tries to get out of the HOV lane as he spots a police officer sitting next to the retaining wall.

Fate would have it that the officer would need to get on the highway – and yours truly just happened to be in position to let him back on the highway, and once again to let him back off the highway as he pulled the minivan over.

I hope the HOV Violation ticket is worth the extra 45 seconds the minivan driver saved by impeding everyone in the carpool lane. Now I realize that I’m not one to talk considering the number of speeding tickets and other various infractions I have on my record, but the fact still remains – 75/85 in the morning is going to be packed unless it’s a weekend morning or a holiday. If you can’t get someone to ride with you so you can use the HOV lane, plan accordingly and either leave earlier and/or learn how to take the back streets. Take some time and surf Mapquest or something instead of Tiffany’s website looking at jewelry you can’t afford in the first place. Whatever you do, keep your butt out of the HOV lane unless you meet the requirements.

"Being perfect is not about that scoreboard out there." - Billy Bob Thornton

“Being perfect is not about that scoreboard out there. It's not about winning. It's about you and your relationship with yourself, your family and your friends. Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye and know that you didn’t let them down because you told them the truth. And that truth is you did everything you could. There wasn’t one more thing you could've done. Can you live in that moment as best you can, with clear eyes, and love in your heart, with joy in your heart? If you can do that gentleman - you're perfect!” – Billy Bob Thornton as Coach Gary Gaines in “Friday Night Lights”

It’s one thing to watch football on TV, but it’s a totally different experience in the arena. If you think about movies like Any Given Sunday and Friday Night Lights, they try (and do a decent job I might add) about capturing the electricity in the air at football games. This weekend I truly felt that electricity in the “Swamp” of Gainesville, Florida this weekend. I got the opportunity to travel down to Gainesville with a friend of mine, her mother and her son. Her brother plays for the Vanderbilt Commodores, the visiting team. Fortunately, we were all sitting together cheering for the ‘Dores… I honestly didn’t think that Vandy had a shot in hell to stay in the game, but at halftime the score was tied at 14. Vanderbilt overcame 2 turnovers that the Gators turned into 14 points to tie the game at regulation, and forced overtime. In the second overtime, Vandy lost with an interception, ending the game with a score of 49-42. By far this was one of the best games that I have seen in person, but it was truly heartbreaking for the game to end the way it did. What I saw next is the part that you don’t get to see on TV – and it never will.

All of the Vanderbilt fans and family members waited for the players to come out from the locker room to congratulate them. Watching younger siblings hugging their older brother, the mothers hugging ALL of the players as they came out – all kinds of emotion that I simply do not have the vocabulary to express to all of you. I tried to avoid saying how touched I was by the scene, but that's exactly how I felt - touched. These players left their hearts out on the field, and it showed in the majority of the team's demeanor while heading to the buses. When I got back to Atlanta, I was so exausted that I slept from 8:00 pm to 5:30 the next morning. How my friend and her family traveled to those games week in and week out for four years is absolutely beyond me. The physical and emotional energy around that place is intoxicating when you have a vested interest in the team. I don't think that I have cheered that hard for the Falcons in the past. Even thought the outcome of the game wasn’t perfect, my weekend couldn’t have been closer to that word in quite some time. Thanks go out to my friend and her family for inviting me this weekend!

“If it’s too much for ya here, then you should move!” – Robin Harris

It never ceases to amaze me how many people move to my hometown and then complain about how slow things are here, how it’s too hot, or how much their northern city is better than Atlanta. If it’s so much better up in New York or Chicago, then why are you here? Why subject yourself to the blazing summer heat, the blatant, but polite racism, and the slow pace of Atlanta? Is it because you can actually afford to live in a house with closets bigger than some New York apartments? Perhaps you would have had to wait another 10 years to get the same job with comparable pay? Whatever it is, be happy that someone had the foresight to open that business here so that YOU could have a job in my fair city.

Atlanta is probably the best thing that has ever happened to 90% of the transplants here, and all you can do is complain about how much the weather in New York is much more pleasant, or there’s more to do in Philly. Perhaps you would have known about REAL life in the ATL if you hadn’t made your decision to move here based on a weekend trip that consisted of a night out at Puffy’s Restaurant (a transplant), dancing at one of the local clubs (probably 112 since it keeps New York-esque hours) and whatever else you did during your visit… “Remember, what happens in Atlanta STAYS in Atlanta *wink wink*”

Try doing your homework about the city and finding out about the political scene beyond what time can you still buy liquor and make an informed decision about any place where you want to lay your head for more than a weekend. If you came here for college, then you’ve had plenty of time and really have nothing to complain about – you've had your chance to go several times over. It’s great to reminisce about the good old days while you were living in a 10X10 box and eating Ramen noodles, but personally, I prefer to think about my trips to the candy lady down the street from my house. Running through someone’s yard… Reading a book while laying up in the tree in my grandmother’s yard. Call it country all you want, but it worked for me, and I didn’t have a problem adjusting to life in the Big Apple or anywhere else. I missed home, but I made the best of the situation and never rubbed my disgust for those cities in the faces of those that dwelled there. Perhaps it’s the polite southerner in me.

So next time you want to compare New York or Chicago or Los Angeles to Atlanta, do us all a favor and keep your damn opinion to yourself. You never know when you’re going to run into someone that subscribes to André 3000 and Big Boi’s anthem, “Talk bad about the A-Town, and I’ll bust you in ya f%#*in mouth!”

And before I forget, Welcome to Atlanta.

"Sail on down the line..." - Lionel Ritchie

I’m trying not to brood on things, but as I was driving into work yesterday, I heard one of my favorite songs on the radio. It stood out to me because I was talking about my last relationship the night before while I was driving home, and the words almost speak exactly to how I’m feeling now and what transpired over the past few months. For your reading pleasure, here are the lyrics to “Sail On” by Lionel Ritchie (I have no idea whether he was still with the Commodores or not):


Sail on down the line
About half a mile or so
And I don't really wanna know ah
Where you're going
Maybe once or twice you see
Time after time I tried
To hold on to what we got
But now you're going…

And I don't mind
About the things you're gonna say Lord,
I gave all my money and my time
I know it's a shame
But I'm giving you back your name…

Guess I'll be on my way
I won't be back to stay
I guess I'll move along
I'm looking for a good time

Sail on down the line
Ain't it funny how the time can go
All my friends say they told me so
But it doesn't matter
It was plain to see
That a small town boy like me
Just wasn't your cup of tea
I was wishful thinking

I gave you my heart
And I tried to make you happy
And you gave me nothing in return
You know it ain't so hard to say
Would you please just go away
I've thrown away the blues
I'm tired of being used
I want everyone to know
I'm looking for a good time

Good time
Sail on
Honey
Good times never felt so good

Sail on
Honey
Good times never felt so good

Sail on
Sugar
Good times never felt so good
Sail on

Now interestingly enough, there are certain songs that I hear and make me think about certain women that I have dated. Out of all the women that I have dated, Mr. Ritchie and the Commodores have definitely hit the nail right on the head with my last relationship. In addition, it really speaks to my attitude about things going forward too – no more changing how I operate to accommodate other people. If you have to completely change your life around so she will accept you, is that the person you’re supposed to spend the rest of your life with? To quote Whitney, “Hell to the naw.”